Idrissa Gueye and Keane find the net as the Toffees defeat the Cottagers

The Everton manager had stressed before Fulham's visit that the responsibility for finding the back of the net must not rest only on the team's forwards. “I demand more goals from my defenders and central players as well,” he insisted. Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane responded perfectly, delivering a well-earned victory over the opposition's ineffective team.

The Merseyside club's second victory in nine matches was relatively comfortable as the visitors showed why their leading scorer this season is goals gifted by opponents. Aside from a brief flurry in the second half, the away side were kept quiet throughout by the home team's greater urgency and quality. The Blues had three efforts disallowed for offside, but a close-range strike from the midfielder in added time before the break and Keane’s second-half header ensured there would be no comeback for their ex-coach.

No one needed a goal more than the young striker, the Goodison Park forward who had gone 10 Premier League outings without a shot on target after his £27m summer arrival from Villarreal and missed a gilt-edged chance to put his team 2-0 up at Sunderland earlier in the week. The 23-year-old directed the first opportunity of the game wide of the Fulham keeper's goal frame when picked out by Iliman Ndiaye’s excellent delivery.

Everton dominated the opening stages and the visiting shot-stopper pushed over the midfielder's long-range set-piece, given after Sasa Lukic was booked for fouling Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Serbian brought down the identical opponent again before halftime but the referee, Andrew Madley, rightly ignored home protests for a second yellow. The Fulham boss was taking no further chances, however, and substituted the midfielder at the interval.

Barry believed his fortune had changed at last when sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross by Gueye. But the elation of a first Everton goal was erased by an assistant referee’s flag. Ndiaye was in an illegal position when attacking the delivery, and missing, and the VAR supported the original call. Barry’s misfortune may have persisted in the final third, but his all-round performance validated Moyes’ decision to keep the faith. His movement and work-rate kept busy Fulham’s central defenders and contributed to Everton the edge throughout.

The Londoners came into the contest slowly with the Norwegian and the ex-Goodison player Alex Iwobi working well in the engine room, but the first half threat from the visitors was limited. Raúl Jiménez fired weakly at the England keeper when teed up in the box by Iwobi and put a free-kick from a dangerous position directly at the Everton wall. And that was it.

Everton, inspired by Dewsbury-Hall and the forward, had a second goal chalked off for offside when the Fulham goalkeeper parried a effort from Keane and James Tarkowski fired home the loose ball. The skipper had just strayed offside when nodding down the winger's cross in the buildup. But the team's third attempt past Leno did stand. Vitalii Mykolenko delivered a perfect ball to the back post when left unmarked on the left by the youngster. The defender met it with a thumping header against the bar and, though Iroegbunam fluffed his lines, his teammate Gueye converted from close range. The sense of release inside the ground was palpable.

Everton had a further effort disallowed after the restart after Dewsbury-Hall found the bottom corner from a further excellent Mykolenko cross. The attacker had laid off the delivery into Barry, who was in an offside position when challenging Joachim Anderson for the ball that fell to the home player. Everton would have to be patient until the 81st minute for the security of a second goal. The provider was the architect with a corner that the defender glanced over the goalkeeper. He did so with the back of his shoulder, and the visitors' protests for a handball were dismissed by VAR.

Silva’s side posed more danger after the introductions of the forward, Rodrigo Muniz and Adama Traoré. The Everton keeper made a fine stop with his legs to deny Muniz scoring with his initial involvement and denied Traoré with a crucial save in the dying moments.